######## surrounding the article denotes it is a “press release”
and was not written by Leasing News nor information verified, but from the source noted. When an article is signed by the writer, it is considered a “by line.” It reflects the opinion and research of the writer.

Email Leasing News to a colleague and recommend they subscribe.It’s easy. Have them email: kitmenkin@leasingnews.orgwith “subscribe” in the subject line.

Thank you to the readers who responded to our survey on how you reach Leasing News.

While I prefer to keep the specific information confidential to our competitors, I can report it was very helpful. The majority of readers reach us via their computer, although a smaller group often reads us by their smartphone. There were responses that Leasing News is read by readers on both their computer and smartphone.

We received comments, such as "Leasing News is easy to read from any device."

A majority use scrolling to read Leasing News, although a group uses both, meaning using the headlines and scrolling.

Perhaps not as surprising, most who use their smartphone, are using an iPhone.

The two branches of North Milwaukee State Bank, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were closed with First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company, Raleigh, North Carolina, to assume all of the deposits. Established February 12, 1971; reorganized June 29, 1991.

Net equity was $3.5 million and 2015 had $2.1 million loss with net charge offs of $1.8 million. The bank had $44.6 million in loans secured by real estate and $2.9 million in commercial and industrial loans.

It had lost money for the last five years. The bank was one of only 22 banks owned by African-Americans in the United States, according to the Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel. It was reportedly the state's first black-owned bank and one of the largest minority-owned financial institutions in Wisconsin.

In July, 2003, Linda Stewart was named president of the bank, the first woman to lead the bank since it was established. She became the fourth African-American Woman in Milwaukee to lead a bank, which was founded by four women, three of whom are African American. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, she served on the board of directors of Milwaukee State Bank for 12 years, during which, she says, "there were some struggles."

March, 2008 Erbert Johnson was named president and CEO of the bank. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, he "wants to help the bank get more deeply involved in small-business lending and urban economic development."

As of December 31, 2015, North Milwaukee State Bank had approximately $67.1 million in total assets and $61.5 million in total deposits. In addition to assuming all of the deposits of North Milwaukee State Bank, First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company agreed to purchase essentially all of the failed bank's assets.

The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $9.6 million.

"Good Reasons to Make a Career Change”
Career Crossroad---By Emily Fitzpatrick/RII

Question:
What would you consider to be good reasons to make a career change?

Answer:
Any consideration of a move is a proactive approach in overseeing your own career. However, first determine if you are looking to change your Job, Career OR Employer.

In any of these cases, making any change requires an assessment of external and internal factors. So the question becomes – change what? Do you want to change the company you work for, change your career path entirely or the position you currently hold?

Take a look at the Sample Assessment below and ask yourself if making a change will fix the issues you are facing. For example, will a new company resolve matters or are they problems embedded within the industry itself and would only be fixed if you changed industries entirely?

You will want to assess if these factors are temporary, or are factors that would permanently affect you. Sample Personal factors may include:
1. Overwhelmed … Do you worry that you can’t handle the responsibilities or feel you did not receive enough training to master critical tasks?
2. Skills are becoming obsolete … Is there a gap in the skills you need to be successful?Sample External factors may include (outside of your control):
1. Company is being bought or merged.
2. Industry is going through significant changes.

Before Taking Steps to Change:
Explore the possibility of improving your current situation; some considerations for a change may just be temporary and the issue may resolve itself. How about your contribution? Is there some way that you could make adjustments to improve your circumstances, for example, could you transfer to a position in a different division? If at this point your current situation can’t be improved, then you must develop a plan to assess your marketability e.g. reach out to a recruiter or career coach.

The key is to take charge of managing your career by being a step ahead of changes in the overall industry/economy and within your company. By doing so, you will be in a better position to handle any type of career/job/company change rather than just reacting when your boss summons you into his/her office down the road to let you know you are no longer needed.

Sample Self-Assessment: Rank each factor on a scale from 1-5 with 5 = affects me greatly
I don’t feel appreciated by my co-workers _____
My work environment is dysfunctional _____
This job does not fit into my long-range plans____
I am not valued as an employee by my supervisors/boss ___
Most days, I am overwhelmed at work___
My pay was cut___
Now add them up and divide by six.

Are You Charging Too Much for Default Interest?There is no Clear Rule, So Err on the Side of 4-5%
By Tom McCurnin
Leasing News Legal Editor

All leases provide for a higher interest rate after the lessee defaults. Such default rates of interest can be struck down as unconscionable and excessive. However, in other states, default interest rates are regarded as a form of liquidated damages for the lessee’s breach. Consequently, courts can strike down the increase in an interest rate as an unenforceable penalty.

Traditionally, liquidated damages compensate the lessor for the breach and also compensate the lessor for the increased risk of nonpayment. However, many states view default interest rates as a form of liquidated damages, which means that the increase will be enforceable only if it is a reasonable estimate of the lessor’s actual or anticipated loss.

Sadly, there is no clear guidance as to the proper rate of default interest which can be placed in a lease. The cases I have read consider the following factors:

• The amount of the interest rate increase;
• The initial rate of interest;
• The nature of the breach (e.g., whether a monetary or non-monetary default);
• The borrower’s solvency;
• The extent to which the debt is secured; and,
• Whether the lender is seeking both default interest and a late payment fee.

I’m no expert on the subject, but I found a chart which summarizes the permitted increase from the base rate to the default rate which was held permissible:

California 5%

Kansas 6%

Colorado 29.75%

Minnesota 5%

Connecticut 12.05%

New Jersey 6%

Delaware 14%

New York 15%

Illinois 5%

Ohio 2%

If any lawyers want the underlying research, they are free to contact me by email. But as this chart indicates, the numbers are all over the map. Therefore, lessors must be very careful in selecting a default interest rate. Even a very small increase in the interest rate after default might not withstand the scrutiny of the courts.

Almost everyone in the equipment leasing business at one time or another has been asked by friends or relatives “Should I lease a car or not”. Consumer auto leasing is very different than commercial equipment leasing but few consumers understand those differences and therefore think that because we are in the leasing business we should have all the answers.

When comparing traditional car financing to leasing usually the rates are comparable, however the speed at which the principal is paid back has a lot to do with the cost. For instance a $35,000 loan over 48 months at a rate of 6% has payments of $821.98 and a total interest cost of $4,454.85, whereas a 48 month lease on the same car at the same rate with a “bring back” (residual) of 40% ($14,000) has payments of $563.19 and a total interest of $6,032.91. The payment is lower but the total interest charge (at the same rate) is higher. This is a result of only paying 60% of the cars cost over the term so the outstanding principle is always higher as the $35,000 is reduced to a remaining balance at termination of $14,000. The rate is the same but the total interest earned by the Lessor is 35% higher due to the residual.

The next question is the residual or bring back amount. The two terms used in consumer leasing for the responsibilities at lease termination are “closed end” or “open end”. Closed end means you can walk away with no responsibilities for the bring back; if the car is returned at or below the mileage requirement and it is in clean condition. Open end means you are responsible for the bring back and if there is any short fall or deficiency when the car is sold you must make it up. Usually manufacturers offer closed end leases and financial institutions offer open end leases.

To compete with manufacturer programs many financial institutions purchase residual insurance that allows them to offer closed end leases but then the customer usually has no opportunity to purchase the car at termination because it has been presold to the insurance carrier.

One of the problems in consumer leases are legal documents that are written in vague language. That is not to say that they do not disclose all of the charges required by truth in lending, but many consumers do not read or understand the language or their responsibilities. All they see are lower payments and because they have been comparing loan payments to determine who is cheapest they apply the same logic to leasing. Upon lease termination they can find that the interpretation of the documents by the car dealer requires them to put the car in like new condition upon return or renew the lease for an addition year regardless of the closed end nature of the lease.

Also it is vague on who sells the car or how its value is determined. How do you define selling costs and who determines a whole host of issues not covered in the agreement? Congress is working on some solutions but it still is in the future,

Clearly a lower cash flow requirement for lease payments encourages the consumer to lease because you can lease a luxury car or purchase an ordinary car. Lower payments are the American way by allowing us to push off until tomorrow what we cannot pay for today. While that may work if the leased car remains popular in the resale market if the price falls below expectations at lease terminations the lessor’s are going to look to the consumer or the insurance company to fill the gap. Be careful of end of the lease traps.

I always say if you can invest the difference between the lower lease payment and the equivalent loan payment at a rate that is higher than the interest rate on the lease then lease, if not then purchase. However, when my children were in college, and cash flow was a premium, I leased my car out of shear necessity.

2016 is shaping up to be an amazing time within the Certified Leasing and Finance Professional Foundation as we build off of our fantastic year in 2015.

We ended the year with 290 CLFPs in good standing, this being the highest count since the inception of the designation in 1985. The acceptance of the CLFP designation has been nothing short of phenomenal! Last year, we approved 87 CLFP applications and had 63 applicants sitting for and passing the certification exam, just a great result. The Foundation also introduced the Academy for Lease & Finance Professionals (ALFP) in 2015, a three-day event that covers the mandatory sections of the exam-in–depth, as well as popular electives, and on the final day, candidates can sit for the exam. Additionally, the Foundation rolled out the CLFP exam online, overlaying the written exam but at the same time allowing for a faster pace per individual and less stress from handwritten answers.

As we jump off into 2016, your Foundation continues to work and expand our services to the various Equipment Leasing Associations and their memberships and of course our sponsors and partners, offering specific Academy locations around the country. We have completed two Academies already this year, one in Albany, MN hosted by Stearns Bank with 9 new CLFPs and one in Los Angeles hosted by Dakota Financial with 6 new CLFPs.

A big thanks to our Corporate Sponsors for these locations. We have three additional Academyies scheduled at this time in Walnut Creek, Calfiornia, Philadelphia and Denver. If excitement is any indication of what’s to come, I believe we may be holding additional Academies this year. Along with support of the National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers (NAELB) and the National Equipment Finance Association (NEFA), the Foundation has put together collaboration with the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) which has already had a tremendous impact on interest in the designation.

All of this and more could not have been accomplished without the support of our CLFP Executive Director, our CLFP volunteers and our CLFP Board. If you have not yet looked be sure to review the new 2016 Board Members and certainly reach out with any and all communications. Your Executive Committee and Board of Directors are here to assist and serve.

Strategically our Executive Committee met late last year for a planning meeting and in January our Board ratified our Strategic Plan for the next 2 years, something that is exciting in coming. Ongoing assets will be allocated to continue updating of our Handbook, Exams and generally legal, accounting and other business issues that will focus on the Foundation continue to providing the CLFP Designation as the premier designation for our industry.

I am humbled and feel much honored to serve as the Foundation’s 2016 President.

The PC Market May Finally Have Found its Bottom
Prediction from www.businessinsider.com

by Matt Rosoff

The last few years have been rough for the PC market, as annual shipments have fallen almost 25% from their peak of 364 million units in 2011.

But as you can see in this chart from Statista, based on estimates from market research firm IDC, the plunge may finally be over. IDC predicts annual shipments to drop only another 8% between 2015 and 2020, for a compound annual "growth" rate of -0.5%. The stabilization is a result of faster-than-expected Windows 10 adoption among companies and the rise of larger tablets, IDC says.

WeWork is now worth as much as Snapchat
Providing Low Cost Offices & Work Spaces

by Matt Rosoff, businessinsider.com

WeWork is raising a new round that will value the company at $16 billion. This flies in the face of recent talk about a popping tech bubble and dying billion-dollar "unicorn" startups.

But perhaps this isn't a bubble popping, as happened in the dot-com era, but simply a reshuffling. Startups that can convince investors that their growth prospects are still good and that they have a path to profitability may still find it easy to raise money. It's the struggling companies with slowing growth and no clear path to profits that could find a harder time.

With that reshuffling in mind, Statista has charted the most valuable venture-backed private companies in the world, based on the valuation at their most recent round (this does not include reported downgrades by big institutional investors). WeWork is now in seventh place.

Internal Revenue Announces Interest RatesRemain the Same for the Second Quarter of 2016

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service announced that interest rates will remain the same for the calendar quarter beginning April 1, 2016. The rates will be:

three (3) percent for overpayments [two (2) percent in the case of a corporation];

one-half (0.5) percent for the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000.

three (3) percent for underpayments;

five (5) percent for large corporate underpayments; and

Under the Internal Revenue Code, the rate of interest is determined on a quarterly basis. For taxpayers other than corporations, the overpayment and underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points.

Generally, in the case of a corporation, the underpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points and the overpayment rate is the federal short-term rate plus 2 percentage points. The rate for large corporate underpayments is the federal short-term rate plus 5 percentage points. The rate on the portion of a corporate overpayment of tax exceeding $10,000 for a taxable period is the federal short-term rate plus one-half (0.5) of a percentage point.

The interest rates announced are computed from the federal short-term rate determined during Jan. 2016 to take effect Feb. 1, 2016, based on daily compounding.

China’s Leasing Industry Now World’s Second Largest,
Only Continuing To Grow

Just second to the United States, China’s leasing industry has rapidly expanded and developed since the country’s reform in the 1980s. Once the nation was opened up to foreign investment after that, its financial leasing market in particular accelerated quite quickly – restricted only by strict government regulation following several national illegal fundraising scandals. The country’s aviation leasing industry is also experiencing a boom, with Chinese banks investing heavily in passenger aircraft and commercial jet leasing. Out of 15 of the world’s top companies leasing planes, four Chinese lessors occupied spots in the sub-industry valued at $228 billion globally. Leasing extends to the country’s public sectors as well, where Yingda International Leasing enlisted the Asian Development Bank’s help recently to secure a $75 million dollar loan to modernize China’s healthcare system.

Given the industry’s recent developments, Duxes’ 9th China Leasing Summit 2016 aims to help members of the field gain more knowledge as it continues to rapidly evolve and expand. Set to be held at Beijing’s Crowne Plaza Chaoyang U-Town Hotel from June 14th-17th, 2016, it will feature speakers from the Chinese leasing industry’s regulatory bodies, associations and corporations and provide abundant networking opportunities.

The event will allow attendees to familiarize themselves with the latest government policies and regulations in the leasing industry, as well as to learn more about market trends and growth point identifications. This is the 9th edition of a string of successful leasing industry events, and is the summit to attend to acquire important field information, meet influential like-minded people and run a successful and profitable leasing business in China.

Men at some time are masters of their fates:
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
But, for my own part, it was Greek to me.
Think you I am no stronger than my sex,
Being so father'd and so husbanded?
These things are beyond all use,
And I do fear them.
Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.

— Cæs. The ides of March are come.
Sooth. Ay, Cæsar; but not gone. Act iii. Sc. 1.

The Ides of March: In the Roman calendar the days of the month were not numbered sequentially. Instead, each month had three division days: kalends, nones and ides. Days were numbered from these divisions: e.g., IV Nones or III Ides. The ides occurred on the 15th of the month (or on the 13th in months that had less than 31 days). Julius Caesar was assassinated on this day in 44 BC. This system was used in Europe well into the Renaissance. When Shakespeare wrote "Beware the ides of March" in Julius Caesar his audience knew what he meant. Beware of what was to happen on March 15th

1767 - Andrew Jackson (d. 1845) was born in a log cabin at Waxhaw, SC. The 7th president of the US (Mar 4, 1829-Mar 3, 1837), Jackson was the first president since George Washington who had not attended college.
He was a man of the people, who killed a person in a duel, which was legal
in those days. May 1806, Charles Dickinson had published an attack on Jackson in the local newspaper, and it resulted in a written challenge from Jackson to a duel. Since Dickinson was considered an expert shot, Jackson determined it would be best to let Dickinson turn and fire first, hoping that his aim might be spoiled in his quickness; Jackson would wait and take careful aim at Dickinson. Dickinson did fire first, hitting Jackson in the chest. The bullet that struck Jackson was so close to his heart that it was never safely removed. Under the rules of dueling, Dickinson had to remain still as Jackson took aim and shot and killed him. Jackson's behavior in the duel outraged men of honor in Tennessee, who called it a brutal, cold-blooded killing and saddled Jackson with a reputation as a violent, vengeful man.
He was a military hero in the War of 1812. His presidency reflected his democratic and egalitarian values. His birthday is observed as a holiday in Tennessee.
1781 – The Continental Army inflicted heavy losses on the British at the Battle of Guilford Court House, North Carolina. A 2,100-man British force under Cornwallis defeated Maj. Gen. Nathanial Greene’s 4,500 Americans, but lost a considerable number of men during the battle with estimates as high as 27%. Such heavy British casualties resulted in a strategic victory for the Americans. The battle was the “largest and most hotly contested” battle of the American Revolution’s southern campaign and led to the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.
1783 - General George Washington addressed a meeting at Newburgh, NY of Continental Army officers who were dissatisfied and rebellious for want of back pay, food, clothing and pensions. General Washington called for patience, opening his speech with the words: "I have grown gray in your service." Congress later acted to satisfy most of the demands.
1820 - Maine became the 23rd state. Prior to this date it was part of Massachusetts. The Pine Tree State. The white pine cone with its tassel is the state flower. The chickadee is the state bird. The landlocked salmon is the state fish, the tourmaline is the state mineral. The state song: “State of Maine Song”. ‘I direct' is the state motto which is ‘dirigo' in Latin. From the 15th to 19th centuries, this was a great fishing area, off the coast of islands off Nova Scotia. The name of the state comes for its first use to distinguish the mainland from islands offshore. Maine was also thought to be named in honor of Henrietta Maria, Charles I of England's queen. She owned a province in France titled, Mayne. Augusta is the state capital.http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/mar15.html
1827 – “Freedom's Journal,” first Black newspaper, published by John Russwurm and Samuel Cornishhttp://www.shsw.wisc.edu/library/aanp/freedom/index.html
1848 - "The Californian" reported gold was discovered along the American River at a sawmill owned by Capt. John A. Sutter. News was not widely believed in San Francisco.
1848 – “The Californian”: "We entertain several reasons why slavery should not be introduced here. First, it is wrong for it to exist anywhere. Second, not a single instance of precedence exists at present in the shape of physical bondage of our fellow men. Third, there is no excuse whatever for its introduction into this country (by virtue of climate or physical conditions). Fourth, Negroes have equal rights to life, liberty, health and happiness with the whites. Fifth, it is every individual's duty, to self and to society, to be occupied in useful employment sufficient to gain self-support. Sixth, it would be the greatest calamity that the power of the United States could inflict upon California. Seventh, we desire only a white population in California. Eighth, we left the slave states because we did not like to bring up a family in a miserable, can't-help-one's-self condition. Ninth, in conclusion we dearly love the 'Union,' but declare our positive preference for an independent condition of California to the establishment of any degree of slavery, or even the importation of free blacks." Ten days later the other local journal, “The California Star,” said editorially; "While we sincerely entertain these views, and value the union with the United States as highly as we should, the simple recognition of slavery here would be looked upon as a greater misfortune to the territory than though California had remained in its former state, or were at the present crisis, abandoned to its fate. * * We believe, though slavery could not be generally introduced, that its recognition would blast the prospects of the country. It would make it disreputable for the white man to labor for his bread, and it would thus drive off to other homes the only class of emigrants California wishes to see, the sober and industrious middle-class of society. We would, therefore, on the part of 90 per cent of the population of this country, most solemnly protest against the introducing of this blight upon the prosperity of the home of our adoption. We should look upon it as an unnecessary moral, intellectual and social curse to ourselves and posterity."
1849 - Gen. Smith, military commander of California, declared the Yerba Buena harbor to be poor because the seas are too rough and it is located on a peninsula with little water and few food supplies.
1864 - The U.S. Navy fleet arrived at Alexandria, LA for the Red River Campaign that lasted into May. The campaign was a Union initiative, fought between approximately 30,000 Union troops under the command of Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Banks, and 6,000 to 15,000 Confederate troops under the command of Lt. Gen. Richard Taylor. The campaign was primarily the plan of Union General-in-Chief Henry Halleck, and a diversion from Lt. Gen. Grant’s plan to surround the main Confederate armies by using Banks's Army of the Gulf to capture Mobile, AL. It was a Union failure, characterized by poor planning and mismanagement, in which not a single objective was fully accomplished. Taylor successfully defended the Red River Valley with a smaller force.

1875 – The Archbishop of New York, John McCloskey, was named the first Roman Catholic Cardinal in the US.
1892 - New York State unveiled an automatic ballot booth (voting machine).
1892 – The escalator was patented by Jesse W. Reno of NYC.
1901 – Horse racing was banned in San Francisco.
1907 - Trumpet player Jimmy McPartland (d. 1991) was born, Chicago, IL.http://www.redhotjazz.com/McPartland.htmlhttp://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/su/cja/mcpphotos.html
1912 - Birthday of guitarist/folksinger Lightin' Hopkins (d. 1982), Centerville, TX His career spanned more than 30 years, even though he did not begin performing in earnest until middle age. Hopkins spent most of his life in the Houston area, recording his first hits, "Short Haired Woman" and "Baby Please Don't Go" for the local Gold Star label in 1947. Texas blues fell from favor in the mid-1950s, and Hopkins was not heard from again until 1959 when he began playing folk and blues festivals. Lightnin' Hopkins's last performance was at Carnegie Hall in 1979.http://www.blueflamecafe.com/index.html
1912 – Cy Young retired from Major League Baseball with a still-record 511 wins. His average year was 20-12 with 30 complete games. Of all the records in sports, most agree this will never be broken.
1913 - The first small claims court established for small debtors, was authorized by Kansas, to deal with cases involving not more than $20. Plaintiffs and defendants appeared without legal representation. Judges served without fee, pay, or award. Appeals could be taken to the district court.
1913 – President Woodrow Wilson held the first presidential press conference.
1914 – The birthday of Joe E. Ross, born Joseph Roszawikz (d. 1982) in NYC. Known for his trademark "Ooh! Ooh!" exclamation, which he used in many of his roles, he starred as Mess Sgt. Rupert Ritzik in “The Phil Silvers Show” and as Patrolman Gunther Toody in “Car 54, Where Are You?”
1916 - Trumpet player/bandleader Harry James (d. 1983) was born in Albany, GA. His was the first "name band" to employ Frank Sinatra in 1939. James signed Sinatra to a one year contract, of which Sinatra worked seven months before going to sing for Tommy Dorsey. His later band included drummer Buddy Rich. His orchestra succeeded Glenn Miller’s on a radio program in 1942, when Miller disbanded his orchestra to enter the Army.http://www.davidmulliss.com.au/HarryJames/index.htm
1922 – The first radio station in the South, WSB Atlanta, began broadcasting.
1926 – “The Dutchman,” Norm Van Brocklin (d. 1983) was born in Parade, SD. After nine seasons with the LA Rams, winning the 1951 NFL Championship, he signed as the QB for the Philadelphia Eagles. He led the Eagles to the 1960 NFL Championship, the only QB to defeat Vince Lombardi in an NFL title game. He became the first head coach of the Minnesota Vikings in 1961. He is a member of the University of Oregon and the Pro Football Halls of Fame.
1930 - USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) floated out to become a national shrine. A 1924 inspection found her in grave condition. The Navy Board of Inspection and Survey recommended that she be thoroughly repaired in order to preserve her as long as possible. The estimated cost of repairs was $400,000. Secretary of the Navy Wilbur proposed to Congress that the required funds be raised privately, and he was authorized to assemble the committee charged with her restoration. A nationwide campaign included $148,000 raised from the pennies of schoolchildren across the US. Constitution entered dry dock with a crowd of 10,000 observers on 16 June 1927. Charles F. Adams had been appointed as the Secretary of the Navy, and he proposed that Constitution make a tour of the United States upon her completion as a gift to the nation for its efforts to help restore her. She emerged from dry dock with many amenities installed to prepare her for the three-year tour of the country. Setting out with much celebration and a 21-gun salute, the tour of 90 port cities along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts began at Portsmouth, NH. She went as far north as Bar Harbor, ME, on the Atlantic coast, south through the Panama Canal, and north again to Bellingham, WA. Constitution returned to her home port of Boston in May, 1934 after more than 4.6 million people visited her during the three-year tour.http://www.ussconstitution.navy.mil/historyupdat.htmhttp://www.ussconstitution.navy.mil/
1930 – USS Nautilus, the first streamlined US submarine was launched at Mare Island in California. The third sub of this name, she was the forerunner of USS Nautilus, the first nuclear submarine that was launched in 1954.
1933 - Birthday of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Brooklyn, NY. U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice appointed in 1992, she is a lifelong advocate of women's rights. She won five of the six cases that she argued before the Supreme Court, establishing the unconstitutionality of unequal treatment for men and women. She was the editor of the Harvard Law Review. Ginsburg graduated first in her class of 1959, but she was unable to find a job in a law firm as neither mothers nor Jews were being hired. She eventually found employment as a clerk with a federal district judge in New York with the proviso that a male appointee would be waiting when she failed. She was the first female tenured professor at Columbia University and former director of the Women's Rights Project of the ACLU. President Bill Clinton nominated Ginsburg to the Supreme Court on June 15, 1993, and the Senate overwhelmingly (96—3) approved her nomination. She took the oath of office on August 10, 1993.
1935 – Actor Judd Hirsch was born in The Bronx. He is best known for playing Alex Rieger on the television comedy series “Taxi” (1978–1983). Over the course of his career, he has twice won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a comedy Series, has twice won the Tony for Best Actor in a Play, and has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
1937 - The first birth control clinic run by a state government was opened in Raleigh, NC, by the state board of health, including a program setting up contraceptive clinics for poor married women in local maternity and child health services.
1937 - The first blood bank to preserve blood by refrigeration for future use in transfusions was established by the Cook County Hospital, Chicago, IL.
1941 - Mike Love of the Beach Boys was born in Los Angeles. Love is a cousin of the three Wilson Brothers - Brian, Carl and Dennis. With their friend, Al Jardine, they formed a high school group which played under such names as the Pendletones, Kenny and the Cadets, and Carl and the Passions. Mike Love and Brian Wilson wrote "Surfin'," which was a California hit in 1961 for the group, now called the Beach Boys. Murray Wilson, the father of Brian, Dennis and Carl, got the Beach Boys a contract with Capitol Records. Their hits began - "Surfin' Safari," "Surfin' USA" and "Surfer Girl." These were the songs that launched the surf music fad. They went to University High School, as I did, played in some of their pick-up bands, and yes, they really were surfers, who got up at 5am to go surfing before going to school—before the days of wet suits, too.
1941 - The most severe blizzard in modern history struck North Dakota and Minnesota. The blizzard hit on a Saturday night while many were traveling and resulted in the tragic loss of 71 lives. Winds gusted to 75 mph at Duluth, Minnesota and to 85 mph at Grand Forks, North Dakota. Snow drifts reached 12 feet in north central Minnesota.
1944 - Sly Stone was born Sylvester Stewart in Denton, Texas. Sly & The Family Stone had their first hit single with "Dance to the Music” (1968). Their fourth album, “Stand!” (1969), became a runaway success, selling over three million copies and spawning a number one hit single, "Everyday People." By the summer of 1969, Sly & The Family Stone were one of the biggest names in music, releasing two more top five singles, "Hot Fun in the Summertime" and "Thank You" / "Everybody Is a Star", before the end of the year, and appearing at Woodstock.http://www.artistinformation.com/sly_&_the_family_stone.html
1944 – The Washington Senators started spring training with six knuckleballers likely to make the staff. Of them, Mickey Haefner, Dutch Leonard, Johnny Niggeling and Roger Wolff joined Early Wynn as starters and the rest went to the bullpen.
1946 - Nat “King” Cole records “Route 66” written by Bobby Troupe.
1947 - Ensign John W. Lee of Indianapolis, IN was commission an officer, becoming the first in the U.S. Navy. He was assigned to the U.S. S. Kearsarge.
1948 - Parcel Post Air Service between the United States and 21 countries in Europe and Africa began. Service late in the year began to South America and then to the Pacific.
1952 – Kay Starr hit # 1 with “Wheel of Fortune.”
1954 - Top Hits
“Make Love to Me!” - Jo Stafford
“I Get So Lonely” - The Four Knights
“Answer Me, My Love” - Nat ‘King' Cole
“Slowly” - Webb Pierce
1954 - The Chords released "Sh-Boom." It was a U.S. Top 100 #2 hit that year for both The Chords (who first recorded the song) and The Crew-Cuts who took it to #1.
1955 - Colonel Tom Parker becomes Elvis Presley's manager. Parker's previous show-business experience included managing country stars Hank Snow, Eddy Arnold and Gene Autry. Parker manages Presley all his life and after his death.
1955 - Fats Domino released "Ain't It (That) A Shame." It became a top 10 hit and was covered later by Pat Boone who took it to #1. Domino didn’t care…he wrote the song!
1956 - The musical, "My Fair Lady", opened on Broadway. The show ran for 6-1/2 years before 2,717 audiences. It became, thanks to Rex Harrison and an outstanding cast, the longest running major musical theatre production in history. It was followed by a hit London production, a popular film version, and numerous revivals. It has been called "the perfect musical."
1957 - Carol Heiss of Ozone Park, Queens, New York City, won her first National Women's figure skating championship at Berkeley, CA: her second and third in 1958 and 1959; and her fourth consecutive title on January 29, 1960, at Seattle, WA.
http://www.worldskatingmuseum.org/chjhof.htm
1959 - The musical, “No Strings,” opened on Broadway at the 54th Street Theatre. Richard Kiley and Diahann Carroll starred in the show. Also featured was the show’s composer in an acting role, singing his own lyrics. The composer was Richard Rodgers.
1960 - The Key Largo Coral Reef Preserve, an area 21 miles long and 3.5 wine in the Atlantic Ocean was made an undersea park by proclamation of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. This wildlife refuse contains 40 of the 52 known coral species.
1962 - Top Hits
“Hey! Baby” - Bruce Channel
“Midnight in Moscow” - Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen
“Don't Break the Heart that Loves You” - Connie Francis
“Misery Loves Company” - Porter Wagoner
1966 - Winners of the eighth annual Grammy awards for 1965 are announced. Record of the Year is "A Taste of Honey" by Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass. Album of the year is Frank Sinatra's "September of My Years." Song of the Year is "The Shadow of Your Smile" by Paul Francis Webster and Johnny Mandel.
1968 - "LIFE" magazine called Jimi Hendrix, “the most spectacular guitarist in the world.”
1968 - Blood, Sweat and Tears opened at the S.F. Avalon Ballroom.
1970 - Top Hits
“Bridge Over Troubled Water” - Simon & Garfunkel
“Travelin' Band/Who'll Stop the Rain” - Creedence Clearwater Revival
“The Rapper” - The Jaggerz
“It's Just a Matter of Time” - Sonny James
1971 - CBS-TV announced the cancelation of “The Ed Sullivan Show,” then the longest-running TV show in history, after 23 years.
1972 - Singer Robert John scores with a remake of the Tokens' Number One hit "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." John's version goes Top Fifteen and earns him a gold record
1972 - Los Angeles Radio station KHJ is raided by L.A. police after calls from listeners who feared there'd been a revolution at the station from 6:00 to 7:30 in the morning. DJ Robert W. Morgan had played Donny Osmond's "Puppy Love" over and over. The police left without making any arrests.
1977 - “Eight is Enough” premiers on TV. This one-hour comedy-drama was set in Sacramento and starred Dick Van Patten as Tom Bradford, a columnist for a local paper and a widower with eight children. Diana Hyland played his wife Joan; she died from cancer after filming five shows. The children were played by Grant Goodeve, Lani O'Grady, Laurie Walters, Susan Richardson, Dianne Kay, Connie Needham, Willie Aames and Adam Rich. In the fall of 1977, Betty Buckley joined the cast as tutor Abby Abbott, who later married Tom. Most of the cast was reunited for Tom's 50th birthday on "Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion" shown on Oct 18, 1987.
http://www.becoming.net/eie/
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-691/
1977 - “Three's Company” appears on TV. This half-hour comedy featured two girls and a guy sharing an apartment. In order for the landlord to go along with the living arrangements, Jack Tripper, played by John Ritter, had to pretend he was gay. Cast included Joyce DeWitt, Suzanne Somers, Norman Fell, Audra Findley, Richard Kline, Don Knotts and Priscilla Barnes. The last telecast aired on Sept 18, 1984.
http://www.threescompany.com/tcompany/www/
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/threescompany.html
1978 - The Oakland A’s traded star pitcher Vida Blue to the San Francisco Giants for seven players and nearly $400,000 in cash. Blue won 18 games for the Giants that season. In 1976, baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn vetoed an attempt by Oakland A's owner Charlie Finley to sell Blue to the New York Yankees, and in 1978, Kuhn cancelled a proposed trade of Blue to the Cincinnati Reds. In both instances, Kuhn said the trades would be bad for baseball because they would benefit already powerful teams without making them give up any significant talent in return. At the end of the 1976 season, nearly the entire A's roster of star players from Oakland's championship teams left with baseball's new free agency, or were traded off by Finley, leaving Blue, who was still under contract with Oakland, to mentor a new team of primarily rookies and other young players.
1978 - Top Hits
“(Love Is) Thicker Than Water” - Andy Gibb
“Night Fever” - Bee Gees
“Lay Down Sally” - Eric Clapton
“Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” - Waylon & Willie
1978 - "American Hot Wax," a film about a week in the life of pioneer rock & roll disc jockey Alan Freed, premieres in New York. The soundtrack features Jackie Wilson, Buddy Holly, the Moonglows, Drifters, Spaniels, Cadillacs, Zodiacs and others. It is widely considered one of the best rock and roll movies of all time.
1981 – The National Football League prohibited the use of any sticky substances on the body uniform or equipment of any player. The rules change was largely aimed at the defensive unit of the Los Angeles Raiders, winners of the 1981 Super Bowl, and, in particular, at LA defensive back Lester Hayes, who coated his arms and chest with Stickum and intercepted 13 passes during the 1980 season.
1984 - Severe thunderstorms in Arkansas produced 2 violent (F4) tornadoes. The first tornado tracked 48 miles through Van Buren, Cleburne, and Independence counties. 2 people were killed and 13 were injured. 63 homes and 22 mobile homes were destroyed. The tornado lifted the highway 16 bridge and threw it into Greers Ferry Lake. The bridge was 1/4 mile long and had a large steel superstructure. The second tornado tore through Jackson and Poinsett counties with 5 people killed and 12 injured
1985 - “Mr. Belvedere” premiers on TV. A sitcom about a sarcastic, talented, wise British housekeeper and his love-hate relationship with a Pittsburgh family. It starred Christopher Hewett as Lynn Belvedere, former baseball player Bob Uecker as his employer/antagonist, sportswriter George Owens, Ilene Graff as George's wife Marsha, a law student, Rob Stone as Kevin, Tracy Wells as Heather and Brice Beckham as mischievous Wesley. At the end of each episode, Mr. Belvedere narrated the day's lesson as he wrote in his journal, and ended the show on a funny note. The last telecast aired July 8, 1990.
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/mrbelvedere.html
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0088576/
1985 - The first Internet domain name, symbolics.com, was registered.
1986 - Top Hits
“Sara” - Starship
“These Dreams” - Heart
“Secret Lovers” - Atlantic Starr
“I Could Get Used to You” - Exile
1987 - Bryan Adams' "Heat of the Night" becomes the first commercially released cassette single, or cassingle, in the U.S.
1987 - The place: Orlando, Florida. The golf course: the Arnold Palmer-designed Bay Hill layout. The tournament: the Bay Hill Classic. Don Pooley showed the golf world what a true million-dollar swing looked like, as he made a hole in one during the final round. The tournament sponsor had offered a million dollars to anyone making an ace. Pooley didn't win the tourney, but won a lot more than anyone else.
1987 - Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Starlight Express" opened on Broadway. This was the first ever roller-skating musical.
1988 - “The Wonder Years” premiered on TV. A coming-of-age tale set in suburbia in the 1960s and 1970s, this drama/comedy starred Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold, Josh Saviano as his best friend Paul and Danica McKellar as girlfriend Winnie. Kevin's dad was played by Dan Lauria, his homemaker mom by Alley Mills, his hippie sister by Olivia d'Abo and his bully brother by Jason Hervey. Narrator Daniel Stern was the voice of the grown-up Kevin. The last episode ran Sept 1, 1993 but it remains popular in syndication.
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~kpearce/wy.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094582/
1988 - More than one hundred hours of continuous snow finally came to an end at Marquette, MI, during which time the city was buried under 43 inches of snow. Unseasonably cold weather prevailed in the southeastern U.S., with forty-one cities reporting record low temperatures for the date.
1993 - 69 daily low temperature records were broken over the eastern US as cold air persisted behind the "blizzard of '93". Elkins, West Virginia recorded 5 degrees below zero to break its old record by 15 degrees and New Orleans, Louisiana dropped to 31 degrees to break its old record by 9 degrees. Fort Myers, Florida shivered at 39 degrees.
1994 - 0.9 inches of snow on this day brought the seasonal snowfall total at Binghamton, New York to 123.2 inches -- the city's snowiest winter ever.
1997 - Dave Andreychuk of the New Jersey Devils became the 26th player in the National Hockey League and the second in two days to score 500 regular-season goals. Andreychuk's goal helped the Devils beat the Washington Capitals, 3-2.
1997 - The University of North Carolina men's basketball team defeated Colorado, 73-56, in the second round of the NCAA tournament to give Coach Dean Smith the 877th victory of his career, one more than Adolph Rupp. Smith's win, his 63rd in NCAA tournament play, came in his 36th season as a head coach. He finished his career with 879 wins, the most in NCAA Division I Men’s basketball at the time.
1999 - Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Dusty Springfield, the Staples Singers, Del Shannon, Curtis Mayfield and Beatles producer George Martin are among those inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Springfield died just 11 days before.
2003 - Thousands of anti-war demonstrators marched in SF, Washington, DC and around the world.
2006 - Remnants of Fats Domino's three pianos were discovered and saved by the Louisiana State Museum after attempting to salvage his Ninth Ward home after Hurricane Katrina.
2015 - Boston reached a new snowfall record of 108.6 inches. The city's previous record of 107.6 inches was set in the winter of 1995-1996.

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